Vehicle-wheel.



No. 850,637., y `PATENTED APR. 16l 1907. E. A. FOUNTAIN.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.30. 1906.

nimm:

, resiliently mounting the hub whereby to premiti TMN, acitizen of 'theUnited States and highly useful device the said rim being providedl witha lufality UNITED sTATEs PATENT OEEIOE VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Nofeb 0,637.

Application filed January 30.

To all whom t may concern: If lBe it known that I, EVERLYN A. FOUN- ofAmerica, residing at San Diego, in the county l of San Diego andl Stateof California, .have inventednew and useful Improvements in, Ve-

` hicle-Vheels, of which the following is a i speciiicationk j Myinvention relatesk to 'vehicle-Wheels; and its primary object is toprovide a novel y of' this character wherein the hub is resilientlymounted to take'up and dissipate any violent shocks, or jars resulting.from irregularities in the surface over which the wheel is moving,whereby'I provide a wheel upon which a steel or cushion tire may be usedto accomplish the same results as does a wheel equipped with apneumatictire. j

A further object ofthe' invention is to provide novel means for housingthe means for vent foreign substances from coming in contact with thelatter-named means and to protect it from the action of -th elelements,therebyinsuring the proper action and add` ingrlife and durabilitythereto.

he invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangementof parts hereinafter more fullyV described, claimed; and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, which show the preferred form Aof myinvention, and'in which- Figure 1 is the 'side elevation of a vwheel-lconstructed in. accordance with my invention, the housing being removed.Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the hub and one of the "sets ofdevices for resiliently mounting the hub. Fig. 3 is a detail view oi oneofthe auxiliary spokes or guide-pins. Fig. ,4 isa view of one of ltheadjustingscrews and the coacting nut detached. 1 Fig. 5`is a detail viewof the nut.

Referring" to the drawings, 1 designates the felly of the wheel, whichmay be of ordiform and' construction and provided anysiiitable-type o ftire. Secured at their outer ends-'to the fe1ly"are spokes 2, fixed attheir inner ends to an inner rim 3,-

of openings arranged radially with relation to the center thereof.- j i1 The wheel-hub 5 isprovided with a pair of spaced'peri heral fianges'6, between which are mounte the innerlends of. a plurality ofi'adially-arranged4 guide-pins or auxiliaryA Specification of LettersPatent.

centrally of the rim. It is ap ,tit

, action whereby Patented April. 16, 19.07. 190e. serial no. assess.

nally threaded ,to adj ustably engage a nut 10 and provided at its outerend with an adjusting-lieadll. Each screw Or sleeve 9"pro j jectsthrough onev of the Openings 4 in the inner rim and forms a .supportfor'the outer Y end of the cooperating guide-pin 7, which is free toslide or reciprocate therein, the screw beingof sulicieiitly greaterlength than the depth of the opening to permit it to have a desiredrange of adjustment andalso of less diameter than the opening to permitit to play therein, and thereby allow theguidepin to swing withinarescribed range-circumferentially of thew ieel. 4

Each nut 10 is of oblong rectangular form andv has a rounded outer 4face12 to bear "agaistthe inner surface of the rim 3 and permit' theadjusting-screw and outer end of the guide-pinto tilt freely or assumean angularposition relatively to the rim during the travel of the wheelto secure the desired cushioning action, as hereinafter described.

Surrounding each guide-pin 7 4is a coiled cushioning-sprin`g`13 bearingat its inner end against the flanges 6 and at its outer' ven d againstthe nut 9,v which s rings exert their expansive force to normal y retainthe'hub when the tire of the wheel engages an irregularity inthe surfaceover which it is travelthe usual shock or jar incident thereto the samefrom foreign substances and the ac-` tion of the elements, cover platesor disks 14 are arranged upon op osite sides 'of the saine and arefastened to t e hub of the'wheel 1n betaken up and dissipated by the,arent through .l these springs i rio A 'the flanges 6. These platesride in' contact is infr'notion, so that as the wheel revolves a'- 1twere equlpped W1th 4a pneumatic tire.

' Having thus described the invention,.what' ranged guide-pins with thesides of the `rim 3,;but are free from `connection therewith, thuspermitting the frame of the wheel and hub to have proper relativemovement for the cushioning action. The plates by their engagement with`the rim prevent lateral strain upon thefvguide-pins, as

well as protecting the springs 13.

' The ends of the nuts 10 contact with the inner faces of thecover-plate 14, andthe nuts are therebyheld from rotation, and they arealso held in contact with the inner face of the rim by the expansivepressure. of the cushioning-springs' 13. It will thus be seen that byturning the screws 9 in one direction or the other the tension of thesprings will be increased or diminished to vary their resistance orcushioning action.

In operation the pivotal connection of the guide-pins-74 with the huband their sliding connectionv aswell as pivotal connection with the rim3 permit -said pins to move radially .with relation to the axis' of thewheel as well as circumferentially thereof while the wheel continualcushioning'action will be obtained and all jars and sho'cks'taken up,thus giving l the wheel the same ease of action as t ough 1. A wheelcomprising a hub, a felly, an inner rimfixed to the felly and providedwith openings therein, a plurality of radially-arivotally connected a'ttheir inner ends wit connected at their outer ends with the rim to haveradially-slidable and pivotal movementl circumferentially to the hub,springs sur-L' lrounding said pins'between the rim and hub,

the hub and suitably `and means uponthe outer ends of the pineand'disposed ywithin therirn-openings for adjusting vthesprings to varytheir reslstance.

'2.- A wheelcornprising a hub, a telly, an inner lrim `fixed to the`felly and provided with 'openings therein, a plurality of radially-ar-4ranged guidepins pivotally connected at their inner ends with the .huband extending at their outer ends through'the-openings in therim,.stationary nuts bearing against the inner surface of the rim,coiled springs sur` rounding the guide-pins and bearing at their innerends against the hub, and adjustingscrews mounted upon the outer ends ofthe y with the'rim, cushioning-springs associated.

with said connections,'and shields disposed on opposite 'sides of saidconnections and springs between the hub and rim and fixe y connectedwith one of said parts-and mo ably engaging the other pa'rt.

4. A Wheel comprising a-hub, a fell-y, an in-r ner rim fixed to thei'elly, guide-pins pivotally connected at their inner ends -to the huband slidably and pivotally connected at their outer ends tothe rim,cushioning-springs asso'cia'ted with said pins, and cover-plates onopposite sides of said pins and springs, said plates being fixed to thehub and movablyainj gading the rim. A

n testimony whereofl affix my signature in presence of two witnesses..

EVERLYN A. FOUNTAIN.

Witnesses: I

F. W. DowNs, J. Q. FINCH.

